"Wha… ?!"
An uproar swept through the battlefield. Across Qin's Nation's army, countless soldiers stared in disbelief at what they had just witnessed. In their eyes, Uchiha Madara stood among the absolute strongest experts in the nation, having even unleashed power beyond his limits. And yet he had still been lost to the swordsman before them.
The scene was almost impossible to believe. A supreme expert had been defeated.
The impact on Qin's Nation's offensive was immediate. The momentum of the advancing army faltered, and for a moment, the entire battlefield seemed to freeze.
"Not good! Something's happened to Madara!" At the Parliamentary Institute command center, a staff member suddenly stood up and shouted after seeing the latest drone footage.
Gandalf paused. "What happened?"
"An unknown expert has appeared on the battlefield. He defeated Madara!"
Gandalf narrowed his eyes and immediately replayed the footage of their battle. The more he watched, the graver his expression became. After Hollowfication, Madara's strength had reached its peak, already touching, or perhaps even crossing, the threshold of Starlight Rank Eight. And yet he had still been defeated in such a short battle.
The result was both shocking and difficult to comprehend. Everything about that weather-beaten swordsman's techniques appeared absurdly simple, yet those simple techniques produced power and effects that defied common sense.
As for the reason behind it, Gandalf could think of only one possibility.
"A power that completely surpasses the civilization level we're currently operating at. But it seems his strength is sealed. He's only able to use a tiny fraction of it," Gandalf muttered to himself, his expression growing even more serious.
It was only a theory, but if it were true, it would be very bad news for Qin's Nation. An enemy whose power existed beyond their current level of civilization could become a catastrophic threat if allowed to run rampant.
After a moment of thought, Gandalf suddenly issued an order. "Notify the homeland. Prepare to sever the connection between the two worlds.
If the situation in the Soul Society turns unfavorable, immediately cut off all Realm Gate links. No matter what happens, that enemy must not be allowed to enter our world."
The Parliamentary Institute personnel froze in surprise. "Chief, this, "
"Carry out the order immediately. Do not question it," Gandalf's voice was stern.
"Yes, sir!" Realizing the seriousness of the matter, the staff members immediately complied.
"An unknown expert... So this war really wasn't going to be that simple," Gandalf murmured.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Madara crashed to the ground. His Hollowfication instantly collapsed as fragments of white bone scattered into the air before gradually fading away, revealing his bare upper body.
But his condition was far from good. Deep wounds covered his body, blood flowing freely from them. His face was pale as he lay there weakly, his eyes unfocused. The vertical eye on his forehead had long since closed.
One strike. A single strike from Yasuo had completely removed his ability to fight. Lying on the ground, waves of weakness and dizziness washed over him. He was unwilling to accept it, but there was nothing he could do. For the first time, he felt how weak he truly was.
Only after leaving one's own world could one understand how vast the outside world was, and how small oneself could be. This first great war between worlds had shown him true power. It had shown him what a broader and more magnificent world really looked like.
"I need to become stronger..." Madara muttered. He wanted to unleash even greater power, but then he realized he had already reached his limit. Slowly, he closed his eyes. "So limits really do exist..."
Unwillingness and a longing for greater strength flooded his mind. Before he knew it, he had fallen unconscious. Yasuo's strike had not merely wounded his body; it had pierced through to his internal organs and disrupted the flow of power throughout his entire body.
"Rescue Madara!" Senju Hashirama's expression darkened within the Hokage Corps. In the next instant, a streak of golden light shot out across the battlefield.
A flash of golden light streaked across the battlefield as a young man suddenly appeared in front of Madara.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
At almost the same time, several strangely shaped kunai embedded themselves in different corners of the battlefield.
Yasuo's expression remained calm as he looked at the young man who had appeared out of nowhere. "I've heard your country is called Qin's Nation. You certainly have no shortage of experts." His voice was heavy, as though recalling distant memories.
"My name is Namikaze Minato. Would you allow me to take Senior Madara's injured body back with me?" Minato's expression was solemn as he spoke.
The man before him was far too strange. Watching from afar, Minato had observed the battle carefully; Yasuo's blink-like movements were even more unbelievable than space-time ninjutsu, as if he could use them without any restrictions whatsoever.
"Respecting worthy opponents is also part of honor. And honor is my life. Anyone who can survive my attacks deserves respect, even when I'm using less than a tenth of my sealed power. Take him," Yasuo answered indifferently.
Minato's pupils contracted slightly. He looked deeply at Yasuo. "Thank you." Then his figure flashed and vanished.
Yasuo swept his gaze across the battlefield, his eyes gradually becoming sharper. Drawing his sword, he pointed it toward the endless ranks of Qin's Nation's army.
"I'm only interested in experts. Come, all of you. Today, I've had my drink. I've drawn my sword. So let's enjoy this battle to the fullest!"
As his words echoed out, Qin's Nation's army fell silent. Madara's defeat had shocked every soldier present, making them wary of this weathered swordsman to an extreme degree.
Now he was openly throwing down a challenge to every expert in Qin's Nation. One man, one sword, yet he intended to intimidate an entire nation. What arrogance. What confidence.
In the next moment, Senju Hashirama stepped forward, followed by Senju Tobirama. One after another, Kage-level experts emerged from the ranks.
"Your strength is worthy of respect. We admire it. Under normal circumstances, we'd gladly face you one-on-one and enjoy a proper fight. But this is wartime. I hope you'll understand," Hashirama spoke politely, his voice deep and steady.
Yasuo's gaze swept across them. Every expert who had stepped forward was at least Starlight Rank Five. "Good. That'll save time."
The moment he finished speaking, Hashirama slowly raised a hand to his face. Behind him, the experts of Qin's Nation made the same motion. Two breaths later, powerful auras erupted into the sky as an ominous pressure spread outward, covering half the heavens.
Hollowfication. Dozens upon dozens of experts transformed at once.
"What an interesting transformation," Yasuo smiled. "I can feel my sword growing excited as well. Then let's fight."
"Death is like the wind, always by my side."
A smile appeared at the corner of his lips. The next instant, his figure stretched into motion and charged forward at high speed as thousands of Qin's Nation experts roared and surged into action.
(End of Chapter)
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